Ramped-key keyboard for a handheld mobile communication device

ABSTRACT

Wireless handheld mobile communication device and keyboard therefore having a keyfield including a plurality of depressible keys arranged in rows that are distributed about a vertical centerline (Vc) of the keyboard. Each of the depressible keys has a top engagement surface of which an upper inboard portion is raised relative a lower outboard portion thereof. The top engagement surface of each of the depressible keys is ramped from the lower outboard portion toward the upper inboard portion. Each top engagement surface is generally crest shaped, with the apex of the crest running generally diagonally across the respective key with the rest of the top engagement surface falling away from the crest toward the upper outboard portion and the lower inboard portion of the key. The top engagement surface of each of the depressible keys terminates at an upper edge thereof in an elevated ridge down from which the balance of the respective top engagement surface slopes.

CROSS REFERENCE

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/826,898, filed Sep. 25, 2006. Said application isexpressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

This disclosure relates to keyboards for handheld electronic devices,and more particularly to keyboards for handheld electronic devices, aswell as the devices themselves, that have keys which include a turned-upor ramped corner that facilitates thumb typing.

BACKGROUND

The keyboard of a handheld electronic device, and more particularly, ahandheld mobile communication device, can be used to enter text forsending messages electronically, as well as to dial phone numbers forvoice calls. The keyboard for text entry can take many different formsincluding a keyboard in which all letters of the alphabet are shown onrespective keys.

Handheld mobile communication devices can be used to send electronicmail and other data messages. Even though these devices have the abilityto send text messages, the entry of text requires care to avoid strikingunintended keys. Today, handheld mobile communication devices are beingdesigned with smaller widths which present a challenge in designing akeyboard that is both easy to use and has large enough keys for theuser. Use of the device is further complicated by the fact that userstypically make use of their thumbs, the largest of the digits, forstriking the keys. One problem the present disclosure appreciates andaddresses is the fact that when the keys present a generally uniform topsurface, it is easy to inadvertently press surrounding keys when anintended key is pressed using the user's thumb. Therefore, the solutionsof this disclosure focus on designs that facilitate a particular key'sdepression, while avoiding inadvertent actuations of surrounding key(s).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a handheld mobile communication(handheld electronic) device comprising a keyboard configured accordingto the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the lower front portion of the handheld mobilecommunication device of FIG. 1 including the keyboard;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a flexible keyboard overlay for incorporationinto a handheld mobile communication device showing a user's thumbsoriented relative thereto;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the flexible keyboard overlay of FIG. 3without indicia;

FIG. 4 a is an expanded view of several keys of the keyboard of FIG. 3located adjacent the vertical centerline (Vc);

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the flexible keyboard overlay ofFIG. 3;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are side (lateral and bottom, respectively) views of theflexible keyboard overlay of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a perspective front view of an alternatively configuredhandheld mobile communication device according to this disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the handheld mobile communicationdevice of FIG. 8 demonstrating the width, d₁, of the device;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary wirelesshandheld electronic device incorporating an keyboard configuredaccording to the present disclosure; and

FIG. 11 is a block diagram representing a wireless handheldcommunication device interacting in a communication network.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be appreciated at the outset that while the instant disclosuredescribes one or more preferred embodiments of a ramped-key keyboard,such embodiments are presented solely for purposes of illustration andare not intended to be limitations on the scope of the disclosure.

The instant disclosure relates to handheld electronic devices and moreparticularly to mobile handheld communication devices comprisingramped-key keyboards. As used herein, the term “handheld electronicdevice” describes a relatively small electronic device that is capableof being held in a user's hand. “Handheld electronic device” is a broadterm that includes devices further classified as handheld communicationdevices, and mobile handheld communications devices, which can interactwith one or more communications networks to transmit and receive data ofvarious types, e.g., text, voice, data, etc.

The ramped-key keyboard disclosed herein can be a full keyboard. A fullkeyboard refers to a keyboard on which all the keys of the alphabet areshown as indicia on the keys. Reference to a full keyboard in theremainder of the disclosure can be abbreviated as “keyboard.”Furthermore, “keyboard” can also be used to refer to a ramped-keykeyboard. The format of the indicia shown on the keys can comprise, forexample, the letters A-Z in one of a standard keyboard layout and/ornumerals as described later in this writing. Examples of different typesof standard keyboard layouts include, but are not limited to: QWERTY,QWERTZ, AZERTY, and Dvorak layouts. In the embodiments disclosed, thekeyboard is secured to the housing and the keys are located on the faceside of the device.

In the alternative to comprising a full keyboard, the ramped-keykeyboard can be configured to comprise a plurality of keys whereinalphabetic letters are associated with the keys, but at least a portionof the individual keys have multiple alphabetic letters associatedtherewith. This type of configuration is referred to as a reducedkeyboard (in comparison to the full keyboard described immediatelyabove) and can, among others comprise QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, and Dvoraklayouts.

Generally, typing or inputting information on a handheld electronicdevice is typically performed by using the thumbs to strike the keys.The motion of the thumbs while holding a handheld electronic device isdifferent when compared with the typical motion that a typist uses whenusing a standard sized keyboard, e.g., a typewriter, word processor, orkeyboard that is attached to a computer. The fingers used to type onstandard typewriters, word processing machines, e.g. desktop computers,or other data entry devices, typically involves holding the hands andfingers over a set of keys that make up a so-called home row of keys.Typing on a handheld electronic device, on the other hand, does notallow a user to use all of his/her fingers because the device is toosmall to accommodate the use of all of the fingers. Consequently, usersof such handheld mobile communication/electronic devices are forced toemploy a “hunt and peck” type style of entry, use their thumbs, or usesome other type of entry that is different from the typical motion of atypist that uses a regularly sized keyboard. This condition is furtheraggravated by the use of smaller devices in which the keys of thekeyboard are made smaller and/or closer to one another.

Additionally, the range of motion of the human thumb is different fromthat of the human fingers. Typing on a keyboard of a handheld mobilecommunication device can be described by the way the user strikes keysand holds the device. When the user desires to type on the handheldmobile communication device, the device is rested in one or more palm(s)of the user's hand(s) and the thumb(s) are used to perform the keystriking.

Because of the large “footprint” of the thumb when typing on keys ofthese small keyboards, it is easy to actually be engaging two or morekeys when only one is intended. Measures have previously been taken tominimize this effect. For example, the edges of the keys have beenbeveled so they are less likely to be engaged by an adjacent finger orthumb. In this manner, more clearance space is provided around aparticular key thereby accommodating an engaging finger or thumb withless overlap on adjoining keys.

In the accompanying figures, a handheld electronic device is generallyillustrated by reference numeral 300. Handheld electronic device 300,which can comprise a mobile communications device, is seen as comprisinghousing 12 having front side 14, rear side 16, top side 18, bottom side20, right side 22 and left side 24. In the figures, handheld electronicdevice 300 is illustrated as further comprising a ramped-key keyboard332 (which can be a QWERTY keyboard), an electronic graphical display322 (which can be an illuminable LED display), input buttons 26 (whichmay be left and right “mouse,” telephone buttons for initiating orending a telephone call, function buttons, keyboard buttons, etc.),cursor navigation controller assembly 328 for navigating a cursor aboutthe electronic graphical display and causing execution of a selectedfunction to be performed, speaker 334, and microphone 336.

The handheld electronic device 300 can also comprise one or moreinputs/outputs, for example, a USB port, for among other things,providing power to the device, charging a battery, or transferring datato/from another electronic device. The handheld electronic device has awidth D₁, which is between 1 and 5 inches, and preferably between 2 and3½ inches, and a height which is preferably between 2 and 5 inches (SeeFIG. 9).

As may be appreciated from FIG. 1, electronic display 322 is generallydisposed above the ramped-key keyboard 332 and is suitable foraccommodating textual input to the handheld electronic device 300 whenin an operable configuration. Preferably, the electronic display 322 andkeyboard 332 are disposed on the front side 14 of the handheldelectronic device 300. As shown, the device 300 is of unibodyconstruction, but it is also contemplated that the device may be of analternative construction such as that commonly known as “clamshell,”“flip-phone,” “sliding,” or “rotating” style. The navigation cursorcontrol assembly 328 and keyboard 332 are each generally located belowthe electronic display 322.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-5, which illustrate the ramped-key keyboard 332in more detail, the keyboard 332 is generally rectangular in appearanceand spans a substantial entirety of the width D₁ of the device 300.Ramped-key keyboard 332 is bounded by top 36, bottom 38, left 40 andright 42 keyboard sides. Left 40 and right keyboard 42 sides aregenerally parallel with respect to one another, but can be otherwise.Top 36 and bottom 38 sides can be, alone or in combination, linear orarced and the arced sides can be concave, convex or combinationsthereof. The ramped-key keys 30 and input keys 26 (function keys) of thekeyboard predominantly extend from the left side 40 to the right side 42of the keyboard and from the top side 36 to the bottom side 38 of thekeyboard.

Generally, the keyboard 332 comprises a left-hand keyfield 32, which islocated to the left of the vertical centerline VC of the housing, and aright-hand keyfield 34, which is located to the right of the verticalcenterline VC of the housing (see FIG. 3).

In one contemplated configuration, the top surface of the ramped-keys iscurved and resembles a cresting wave. The vertical portion of the wavebasically provides an upturning wall against which the thumb engageswhen depressing the particular key. The very top of the wave is providedwith a ridge that can be tactually sensed by the thumb, and the ridgealso provides resistance to the thumb slipping over the top of theramped-key. The top of the wave also provides an elevated portion to thekey that can be engaged up above the rest of the key's surface.

The ramped-key is scalloped behind the wave portion, which is to sayundercut slightly back toward the key body. In this way, the severalsurrounding keys collectively provide a clearance space around thetarget or central key thereby aiding actuation of only that target keywhile avoiding inadvertent actuation of those surrounding keys. Thisclearance zone establishes an enhanced actuation zone for the targetkey.

On keys of the right-hand keyfield 34, the left top corner contains theelevated wave portion. As an enhancement, the bottom right corner can belowered or shaved down further enhancing the ramped nature of the key'stop surface. For the keys of the left-hand keyfield, the configurationis mirrored. Because of the scallops, a top plan view of the keydemonstrates that the elevated wave portion is not at the edge of thekey, but in fact more centrally located with respect the top surface ofthe key.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the keyboard is depicted as a flexibleoverlay sheeting for incorporation into a wireless handheld mobilecommunication device as shown, for example, in FIG. 2. The keyboardcomprises a keyfield comprising a plurality of depressible keys arrangedin rows that are distributed about a vertical centerline (Vc) of thekeyboard. Each of the depressible keys constituting the rows in thekeyfield (but not necessarily all of the keys in total) has a topengagement surface 31 of which an upper inboard portion 43 is raisedrelative a lower outboard portion 45 thereof.

As best illustrated in FIG. 4 a, in one embodiment, each of thedepressible keys has a top engagement surface 31 of which an upperinboard portion 43 is raised relative a lower outboard portion 45thereof. The top engagement surface 31 of each of the depressible keysis ramped from the lower outboard portion 45 toward the upper inboardportion 43. Each top engagement surface 31 is generally crest shaped 41,with the apex of the crest running generally diagonally across therespective key with the rest of the top engagement surface 31 fallingaway from the crest toward the upper outboard portion and the lowerinboard portion of the key, forming a diagonally oriented crest 41.Although the apex of the crest 41 is illustrated as straight in FIG. 4a, other embodiments in which the diagonally oriented crest is roundedor curved are within the scope of this disclosure.

As may also be appreciated in FIG. 4 a, the top engagement surface 31 ofeach of the depressible keys terminates at an upper edge thereof in adiagonally running ridge 37 from which the balance of the respective topengagement surface 31 slopes. Further in this example, each of thedepressible keys has an upper side surface 47 that slopes downward fromthe elevated ridge at a grade greater than any grade of the topengagement surface 31.

FIG. 3 aptly illustrates the keyfield comprising a right-hand keyfield34 composed of a plurality of depressible keys located on a right-handside of the vertical centerline of the device and a left-hand keyfieldcomposed of a plurality of keys located on a left-hand side of thevertical centerline of the device. Each key of the plurality of keyslocated on the left-hand side of the vertical centerline has a topengagement surface that is lower-left-to-upper-right inclined and eachkey of the plurality of keys located on the right-hand side of thevertical centerline has a top engagement surface that islower-right-to-upper-left inclined.

As is typified in FIGS. 1-2 and 8-11, the present disclosure is alsodirected toward a wireless handheld mobile communication devicecomprising a housing with a display located in a top portion 5 thereoffor displaying information and a keyboard located in a lower portion 6thereof below the display. In this regard, the keyboard is uniquelyconfigured as described herein.

As depicted, the wireless handheld mobile communication device alsoincludes an input device exemplified as a trackball that controls cursormovement on the display via the device's included microprocessor.

The keys comprising the keyfields can be of several shapes that include,but are not limited to: substantially trapezoidal and substantiallyparallelogram shaped (rectangular and non-rectangular) and possiblycomprising arced side members to correspond with an arced side of thekeyboard. Also the lengths and widths of the various keys can varydepending on a number of factors, e.g., width and height of the device,width and height of the keyboard, etc.; albeit the length of the keyswill typically be greater than the width. In some embodiments, anavigation controller assembly 328, or other auxiliary I/O device, canbe disposed proximate, or within a portion of the void 39.

The ramped keys 30 can be arranged such that the upper row of keys inthe left-hand keyfield 32 are keys “Q”, “W”, “E”, “R”, and “T.” Anotherlower row of keys in the left-hand keyfield 32 can be: “A”, “S”, “D”,“F”, and “G.” Still further, an even lower row of keys can comprise thekeys “ALT”, “Z”, “X”, “C”, and “V”. While these rows are described inrelation to a standard QWERTY key arrangement, other types ofarrangements including, but not limited to, QWERTZ, AZERTY, or Dvorakare considered to be within the scope of this disclosure. Likewise, anupper row in the right-hand keyfield 34 can comprise keys with indiciacorresponding to letters “Y”, “U”, “I”, “O”, and “P”. Further, a lowerrow can be composed of the keys with indicia corresponding to letters“H”, “J”, “K”, “L”, and symbol “<”. As mentioned above, these compriseembodiments of a standard QWERTY array, and other known arrays can beused instead and remain within the scope of this disclosure.

The indicia on the keys are provided so that the indicia generallyappear uprightly oriented along an imaginary horizontal line thatextends across a row of keys; the indicia can also appear along an arcedimaginary line, if desired. The indicia can comprise alphabetic indiciaas well as numeric indicia and/or other functions and symbols. Thelayout of the alphabetic indicia is generally provided to present theuser with a familiar and easy to follow keyboard arrangement. The abovedescribed alphabetic indicia can be arranged in one of QWERTY, QWERTZ,AZERTY, and Dvorak layouts.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, when the keyboard is held in the palm(s) of auser's hand(s), the thumb(s) of the user are generally naturallydiagonally oriented with respect to the housing and/or naturallydiagonally oriented with respect to the vertical center VC. Thelongitudinal axis of the user's right thumb is shown.

As shown in at least FIGS. 3-5, a void 39 is formed near the top row ofthe keyboard proximate the nexus of the left-hand keyfield 32 andright-hand keyfield 34. This void 39 is useful because it provides anatural location for accommodating a navigation controller assembly 328(also known as an auxiliary I/O device), which can be useful fornavigating a cursor on the electronic display 322, or for otherpurposes. The navigation controller assembly 328 can comprise severalforms that include, but are not limited to: cursor keys, trackball,navigation wheel, joystick, touchpad, or barrel roller, among othertypes of auxiliary input devices. The location of the auxiliary I/Odevice 328 between the display 322 of the handheld communication device300 and the ramped-key keyboard 332 provides the user with a familiarlocation for the navigation controller assembly 328. The void 39provided by the nexus of the left-hand keyfield 32 and the right-handkeyfield 34 allows freedom of movement away from other keys on thekeyboard. The size and shape of this void area 39 can vary depending on,among other things, the width D₁ and height D₂ of the handheldelectronic device, the disposition of the top 36, bottom 38, left 40 andright 42 sides of the keyboard 328 (linear versus arcuate), key length,key width and the like.

The left and right-hand keyfields 32, 34 can be configured such that theramped-key keys 30 are bound by one or more input keys 26 to form thetop side 36 and bottom side 38 of the keyboard. Preferably, the inputkeys 26 forming the top side 36 and bottom side 38 of the keyboardcomprise one or more function keys; e.g., CALL SEND, CALL END, ALT,SPACEBAR, RETURN, BACKSPACE, SYMBOL, or SHIFT keys and the like. In someembodiments, the function keys can be integrated with the keys of theleft and right-hand keyfields. Alternatively, the function keys can belocated above or below the left and right-hand keyfields and can bearranged to form a generally horizontal line. In other embodiments, thefunction keys can comprise arced sides or can be aligned substantiallyalong arcs to thereby form convex or concave top sides 36 and bottomsides 38. The arcs forming the top and bottom sides can be identical, ordifferent from one another and different arrangements of the functionkeys are described in relation to several figures.

As shown in FIG. 11, the handheld electronic device is capable ofvarious forms of communication and the arrangement of keyboard 332encourages efficient and ergonomic typing. This arrangement enablesuser's to send text messages that can take many forms includingelectronic mail messages. In a preferred embodiment, the handheldelectronic device is equipped to communicate with a wireless system toallow a user to place telephone calls. In addition to comprising aplurality of keys corresponding to letters of the alphabet, the keyboard332 can also be configured to comprise a standard telephone keypadlayout as an overlay of indicia on some of the keys in the left-handkeyfield, or right-hand keyfield. Such configuration allows forefficient use of both text and voice communication modes.

The various characters, commands and functions associated with keyboardtyping, in general, are traditionally arranged using variousconventions. The most common of these in the United States, forinstance, is the QWERTY keyboard layout. Others include the QWERTZ,AZERTY, and Dvorak keyboard configurations.

The QWERTY keyboard layout is the standard English-language alphabetickey arrangement 44. In this configuration, Q, W, E, R, T and Y are theletters on the top left, alphabetic row. It was designed by ChristopherSholes, who invented the typewriter. The keyboard layout was organizedby him to prevent people from typing too fast and jamming the keys. TheQWERTY layout was included in the drawing for Sholes' patent applicationin 1878.

The QWERTZ keyboard layout is normally used in German-speaking regions.In this configuration, Q, W, E, R, T and Z are the letters on the topleft, alphabetic row. It differs from the QWERTY keyboard layout byexchanging the “Y” with a “Z”. This is because “Z” is a much more commonletter than “Y” in German and the letters “T” and “Z” often appear nextto each other in the German language.

The AZERTY keyboard layout is normally used in French-speaking regions.In this configuration, A, Z, E, R, T and Y are the letters on the topleft, alphabetic row. It is similar to the QWERTY layout, except thatthe letters Q and A are swapped, the letters Z and W are swapped, andthe letter M is in the middle row instead of the bottom one.

Alphabetic key arrangements in full keyboards and typewriters are oftenpresented along with numeric key arrangements. An exemplary numeric keyarrangement is shown wherein the numbers 1-9 and 0 are positioned abovethe alphabetic keys. In another numeric key arrangement, numbers sharekeys with the alphabetic characters, such as for example, the top row ofthe QWERTY keyboard. A numeric phone key arrangement 45 is shown in thefigures.

It is desirable for handheld electronic devices 300 to include acombined text-entry keyboard and a telephony keyboard. Examples of suchmobile communication devices include mobile stations, cellulartelephones, wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs), two-way pagingdevices, and others. Various keyboards are used with such devicesdepending in part on the physical size of the handheld electronicdevice. Some of these are termed full keyboard, reduced keyboard, andphone key pads.

In embodiments of the handheld electronic device 300 having a fullkeyboard, only one alphabetic character is associated with each one of aplurality of physical keys. Thus, with an English-language keyboard,there are at least 26 keys in the plurality, one for each letter of theEnglish alphabet. In such embodiments using the English-languagealphabet, one of the keyboard layouts described above is usuallyemployed, and with the QWERTY keyboard layout being the most common.

Other embodiments can comprise a full keyboard for alphabetic charactersand incorporate a combined numeric keyboard. In this embodiment, numericcharacters share keys with alphabetic characters on the top row of theQWERTY keyboard. In the illustrated embodiment, the numeric charactersshare keys with alphabetic characters on the left side of the keyboard.

Examples of handheld electronic devices having a full keyboard assemblyare also described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,278,442 and 6,891,529, thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

Further aspects of the environments, devices and methods of employmentdescribed hereinabove are expanded upon in the following details. Anexemplary embodiment of the handheld electronic device 300 as shown iscradleable in one or more palm(s) the palm of a user's hand. The size ofthe device 300 is such that a user is capable of operating the deviceusing the same hand that is holding the device. In an embodiment, theuser is capable of actuating all features of the device 300 using asingle thumb of the cradling hand. In an embodiment, the handheld device300 features a keyboard 332 on the face of the device 300, whichkeyboard is actuable by the thumb of the hand cradling the device 300.As intimated in FIG. 3, the user may also hold the device 300 in such amanner to enable two thumbs to type on the device 300. Furthermore, theuser may use fingers rather than thumbs to actuate the keys on thedevice 300. In order to accommodate palm-cradling of the device 300 bythe average person, the length, or height, of the device, D₂, isgenerally greater than the width D₁, and the width is preferably betweenapproximately two and three inches, but by no means limited to suchdimensions.

The handheld electronic device 300 includes an input portion and anoutput display portion. The output display portion can be a displayscreen 322, such as an LCD or other similar display device.

Among the physical keys, all or a portion of the plurality of keys haveone or more indicia displayed at their top surface and/or on the surfaceof the area adjacent the respective key, the particular indiciarepresenting the character(s), command(s) and/or function(s) typicallyassociated with that key. In the instance where the indicia of a key'sfunction is provided adjacent the key, it is understood that this may bea permanent insignia that is, for instance, printed on the device coverbeside the key, or in the instance of keys located adjacent the displayscreen, a current indicia for the key may be temporarily shown nearbythe key on the screen.

An exemplary handheld electronic device 300 is shown in the assemblydrawing of FIG. 10 and its cooperation in a wireless network isexemplified in the block diagram of FIG. 11. These figures are exemplaryonly, and those persons skilled in the art will appreciate theadditional elements and modifications necessary to make the device workin particular network environments.

Integration of the trackball assembly into handheld device 300 can beseen in the exploded view of FIG. 10 showing some of the typicalcomponents found in the assembly of the handheld electronic device 300.The construction of the device benefits from various manufacturingsimplifications. The internal components are predominantly constructedon a single PCB (printed circuit board, not illustrated). The keyboard332 in one of the presently described embodiments is constructed from asingle piece of material, and in some embodiments is made from plastic.While in another embodiment, the keyboard 332 can be constructed from afilm on plastic technology allowing the plastic keyboard to be labeledwith the desired alphanumeric arrangements as described herein. In atleast one embodiment, the keyboard 332 is flexible allowing eachindividual key to move substantially independent from the other keys onthe keyboard 332.

In one of the presently described embodiments, the keyboard 332 isassembled as part of a user input subassembly. The user inputsubassembly at least includes a lightguide panel 138 constructed oflight diffusing material. The user subassembly optionally includes anavigational tool (exemplary a trackball navigational tool 325) and adome sheet 139. The keyboard 332 can be attached to a front surface ofthe lightguide panel 138. Additionally a dome sheet 139 can be mountedon the back surface of the lightguide panel 138 for receiving input fromthe keyboard 332 through the lightguide panel 138. The dome sheet 139 isin communication with the PCB (not shown) allowing for communication ofa user selected key on the keyboard 332. The dome sheet 139 in at leastone embodiment provides for switches that relay information to the PCB,and while in the presently described exemplary embodiment one switch isprovided for every key on the keyboard 332, in other embodiments morethan one switch or less than one switch per key are provided.

In at least one embodiment, the PCB is equipped with at least oneconcentrate light source that emits light to the back surface of thelightguide panel 138. The portion of the back surface of the lightguidepanel 138 that receives the concentrate light can aptly be described asa light-entrance surface are of the back surface of the lightguide panel138. Furthermore, when the user input subassembly is constructed using adome sheet 139, apertures can be provided in the dome sheet 138 to allowthe at least one concentrate light source to be transmitted to thelightguide panel 138. The lightguide panel 138 is constructed to diffusethe light from the at least one concentrate light source to diffuse andbe emitted through at least a portion of the front surface of thelightguide panel. The light source in at least one embodiment is a lightemitting diode (LED). When the PCB is provided with a plurality ofconcentrate light sources, these light sources can be a plurality ofLEDs.

In one embodiment, the trackball navigational tool assembly furthercomprises a lock ring 23 that at least partially surrounds the trackballnavigational tool 325. The lock ring 23 like the trackball navigationtool can include a securement feature such as a barbed insert or aramped insert that is capable of being snap-engaged or press-fit intothe corresponding securement feature formed at the surface of thelightguide panel 138. These interfaces on the lock ring 23 likewiseestablish a releaseable interference connection and a releasablefriction connection, respectively, between the trackball navigationaltool assembly and the lightguide panel 138.

The user input subassembly is mountable within the handheld electronicdevice to the back support frame 109. The user input subassembly can beassembled using one or more of the above described components such thata user interface such as a keyboard and/or navigational tool areprovided to the user of the handheld device 300 on the front facethereof.

The user input subassembly allows for various keypads such as keyboard332 to be placed in communication with the lightguide panel 138. Thisallows the user or manufacturer to exchange the keyboard 332 accordingto the desired alphabetic arrangement of the particular region thehandheld device 300 is shipped. Likewise, the user input subassembly canbe integrated into varying support frames such as the one describedherein or others in which proper connection and support is provided forthe lightguide panel 138. These features allow for a single user inputsubassembly to be replaced as necessary as well.

A front housing cover 101 is mounted over the keyboard 332 andlightguide 138. The front housing cover 101 is constructed to allow thekeyboard 332 to be accessible through at least one apperature (notshown) or a plurality of apertures corresponding to one or more keysand/or navigational tool depending on the configuration of the keyboard332 and navigational tool such as the trackball navigational tool 325.The front housing cover 101 also provides an attachment point for thelens 103. A lens 103 covers the display, which is typically mounted onthe PCB, to prevent damage. When assembled, the front housing cover 101and the PCB are fixedly attached to each other and the display ispositioned between the PCB and the front housing cover 101.

The trackball navigation tool 325 can be frictionally engaged with thefront housing cover 101, and in one exemplary embodiment the trackballnavigation tool 325 is removable when the device is assembled. Thisallows for replacement of the trackball navigation tool 325 if/when itbecomes damaged or the user desires replacement with a different type oftrackball navigation tool 325. Other multidirectional navigation toolssuch as joysticks, four-way cursors, or touch pads are also consideredto be within the scope of this disclosure. The removal of the trackballnavigation tool 325 is enabled through the use of an outer removablering 23, the outer edge of which defines the periphery of the trackballnavigation tool 325. The ring 23 ensures that the trackball navigationtool 325 is properly held in place against the light guide 138.

A serial port (preferably a Universal Serial Bus port) 330 and anearphone jack 140 are fixedly attached to the PCB and further held inplace by left side element 106. Buttons 131-133 may be attached toswitches (not shown) which are connected to the PCB 12.

Final assembly involves placing a bottom piece 108 in contact with fronthousing cover 101 and back support frame 109. Furthermore, the assemblyinterconnects right side element 105 and left side element 106 with thefront housing cover 101, bottom piece 108, back support frame 109, PCB,and lens 103. These side elements 105, 106 provide additional protectionand strength to the support structure of the device 300. In thepresently described exemplary embodiment, backplate 104 is removablyattached to the back support frame 109.

The block diagram of FIG. 11, represents an embodiment of handheldelectronic device 300 interacting in a communications network 319, andillustrates the use of a microprocessor 338 to control operation of thedevice 300. In FIG. 11, communication subsystem 311 performs allcommunication transmission and reception with wireless network 319. Themicroprocessor 338 further connects with an auxiliary input/output (I/O)subsystem 328, a serial port (preferably a Universal Serial Bus port)330, a display 322, a keyboard 332, a speaker 334, a microphone 336,random access memory (RAM) 326, and flash memory 324. Othercommunications subsystems 340 and other device subsystems 342 aregenerally indicated as connected to the microprocessor 338 as well. Anexample of a communication subsystem 340 is that of a short rangecommunication subsystem such as BLUETOOTH™ communication module or aninfrared device and associated circuits and components. Additionally,the microprocessor 338 is capable of performing operating system 408functions and can enable execution of software applications on thecommunication device 300.

The above described auxiliary I/O subsystem 328 can take a variety ofdifferent subsystems including the above described cursor navigationassembly 328. As previously mentioned, the cursor navigation assembly(also known as a navigation tool) 328 is an ergonomic cursor navigationcontroller. Other auxiliary I/O devices can include external displaydevices and externally connected keyboards (not shown). While the aboveexamples have been provided in relation to the auxiliary I/O subsystem,other subsystems capable of providing input or receiving output from thehandheld electronic device 300 are considered within the scope of thisdisclosure.

In a preferred embodiment, the handheld electronic device 300 isdesigned to wirelessly connect with a communication network 319. Somecommunication networks that the handheld electronic device 300 may bedesigned to operate on require a subscriber identity module (SIM) orremovable user identity module (RUIM). Thus, a device 300 intended tooperate on such a system will include SIM/RUIM interface 344 into whichthe SIM/RUIM card (not shown) may be placed. The SIM/RUIM interface 344can be one in which the SIM/RUIM card is inserted and ejected.

In an exemplary embodiment, a flash memory 324 is enabled to provide astorage location for the operating system, device programs, and data.While the operating system in a preferred embodiment is stored in flashmemory 324, the operating system in other embodiments is stored inread-only memory (ROM) or similar storage element (not shown). As thoseskilled in the art will appreciate, the operating system, deviceapplication or parts thereof may be loaded in RAM 326 or other volatilememory.

In a preferred embodiment, the flash memory 324 containsprograms/applications 358 for execution on the device 300 including anaddress book 352, a personal information manager (PIM) 354, and thedevice state 350. Furthermore, programs 358 and other information 356can be segregated upon storage in the flash memory 324 of the device300. However, another embodiment of the flash memory 324 utilizes astorage allocation method such that a program 358 is allocatedadditional space in order to store data associated with such program.Other known allocation methods exist in the art and those personsskilled in the art will appreciate additional ways to allocate thememory of the device 300.

In a preferred embodiment, the device 300 is pre-loaded with a limitedset of programs that enable it to operate on the communication network319. Another program that can be preloaded is a PIM 354 application thathas the ability to organize and manage data items including but notlimited to email, calendar events, voice messages, appointments and taskitems. In order to operate efficiently, memory 324 is allocated for useby the PIM 354 for the storage of associated data. In a preferredembodiment, the information that PIM 354 manages is seamlesslyintegrated, synchronized and updated through the communication network319 with a user's corresponding information on a remote computer (notshown). The synchronization, in another embodiment, can also beperformed through the serial port 330 or other short range communicationsubsystem 340. Other applications may be installed through connectionwith the wireless network 319, serial port 330 or via other short rangecommunication subsystems 340.

When the device 300 is enabled for two-way communication within thewireless communication network 319, it can send and receive signals froma mobile communication service. Examples of communication systemsenabled for two-way communication include, but are not limited to, theMOBITEX mobile communication system, DATATAC mobile communicationsystem, the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) network, the UMTS(Universal Mobile Telecommunication Service) network, the EDGE (EnhancedData for Global Evolution) network, and the CDMA (Code Division MultipleAccess) network.

For the systems listed above, the communication device 300 must beproperly enabled to transmit and receive signals from the communicationnetwork 319. Other systems may not require such identifying information.MOBITEX and DATATAC mobile communication systems feature a uniqueidentification code that is associated with each handheld electronicdevice 300. A GPRS, UMTS, and EDGE require the use of a SIM (SubscriberIdentity Module) in order to allow communication with the communicationnetwork 319. Likewise, most CDMA systems require the use of a RUIM(Removable Identity Module) in order to communicate with the CDMAnetwork. The RUIM and SIM card can be used in multiple differenthandheld electronic devices 300. Handheld electronic device 300 can beconfigured to operate some features without a SIM/RUIM card, but it maynot be able to communicate with the network 319. In some locations, thehandheld electronic device 300 can be enabled to work with specialservices, such as “911” emergency, without a SIM/RUIM or with anon-functioning SIM/RUIM card. A SIM/RUIM interface 344 located withinthe device allows for removal or insertion of a SIM/RUIM card (notshown). This interface 344 can be configured like that of a disk driveor a PCMCIA slot or other known attachment mechanism in the art. TheSIM/RUIM card features memory and holds key configurations 351, andother information 353 such as identification and subscriber relatedinformation. Furthermore, a SIM/RUIM card can be enabled to storeinformation about the user including identification, carrier and addressbook information. With a properly enabled handheld electroniccommunications device 300, two-way communication between the handheldelectronic device 300 and communication network 319 is possible.

If the handheld electronic device 300 is enabled as described above orthe communication network 319 does not require such enablement, thetwo-way communication enabled device 300 is able to both transmit andreceive information from the communication network 319. The transfer ofcommunication can be from the device 300 or to the device 300. In orderto communicate with the communication network 319, the device 300 in apreferred embodiment is equipped with an integral or internal antenna318 for transmitting signals to the communication network 319. Likewisethe communication device 300 in the preferred embodiment is equippedwith another antenna 316 for receiving communication from thecommunication network 319. These antennae 316, 318 in another preferredembodiment are combined into a single antenna (not shown). As oneskilled in the art would appreciate, the antenna or antennae 316, 318 inanother embodiment are externally mounted on the device 300.

When equipped for two-way communication, the handheld electronic device300 features a communication subsystem 311. As is well known in the art,this communication subsystem 311 is modified so that it can support theoperational needs of the device 300. The subsystem 311 includes atransmitter 314 and receiver 312 including the associated antenna orantennae 316, 318 as described above, local oscillators (LOs) 313, and aprocessing module 320 which in a preferred embodiment is a digitalsignal processor (DSP) 320.

A signal received by the handheld electronic device 300 is firstreceived by the antenna 316 and then input into a receiver 312, which ina preferred embodiment is capable of performing common receiverfunctions including signal amplification, frequency down conversion,filtering, channel selection and the like, and analog to digital (A/D)conversion. The A/D conversion allows the DSP 320 to perform morecomplex communication functions such as demodulation and decoding on thesignals that are received by DSP 320 from the receiver 312. The DSP 320is also capable of issuing control commands to the receiver 312. Anexample of a control command that the DSP 320 is capable of sending tothe receiver 312 is gain control, which is implemented in automatic gaincontrol algorithms implemented in the DSP 320. Likewise, thecommunication device 300 is capable of transmitting signals to thecommunication network 319. The DSP 320 communicates the signals to besent to the transmitter 314 and further communicates control functions,such as the above described gain control. The signal is emitted by thedevice 300 through an antenna 318 connected to the transmitter 314.

It is contemplated that communication by the device 300 with thewireless network 319 can be any type of communication that both thewireless network 319 and device 300 are enabled to transmit, receive andprocess. In general, these can be classified as voice and data. Voicecommunication is communication in which signals for audible sounds aretransmitted by the device 300 through the communication network 319.Data is all other types of communication that the device 300 is capableof performing within the constraints of the wireless network 319.

In the instance of voice communications, voice transmissions thatoriginate from the communication device 300 enter the device 300 thougha microphone 336. The microphone 336 communicates the signals to themicroprocessor 338 for further conditioning and processing. Themicroprocessor 338 sends the signals to the DSP 320 which controls thetransmitter 314 and provides the correct signals to the transmitter 314.Then, the transmitter 314 sends the signals to the antenna 318, whichemits the signals to be detected by a communication network 319.Likewise, when the receiver 312 obtains a signal from the receivingantenna 316 that is a voice signal, it is transmitted to the DSP 320which further sends the signal to the microprocessor 338. Then, themicroprocessor 338 provides a signal to the speaker 334 of the device300 and the user can hear the voice communication that has beenreceived. The device 300 in a preferred embodiment is enabled to allowfor full duplex voice transmission.

In another embodiment, the voice transmission may be received by thecommunication device 300 and translated as text to be shown on thedisplay screen 322 of the communication device 300. The communicationdevice 300 is also capable of retrieving messages from a voice messagingservice operated by the communication network operator. In a preferredembodiment, the device 300 displays information in relation to the voicemessage, such as the number of voice messages or an indication that anew voice message is present on the operating system.

In a preferred embodiment, the display 322 of the communication device300 provides an indication about the identity of an incoming call,duration of the voice communication, telephone number of thecommunication device, call history, and other related information. Itshould be appreciated that the above described embodiments are given asexamples only and one skilled in the art may effect alterations,modifications and variations to the particular embodiments withoutdeparting from the scope of the application.

As stated above, the communication device 300 and communication network319 can be enabled to transmit, receive and process data. Severaldifferent types of data exist and some of these types of data will bedescribed in further detail. One type of data communication that occursover the communication network 319 includes electronic mail (email)messages. Typically an email is text based, but can also include othertypes of data such as picture files, attachments and html. While theseare given as examples, other types of messages are considered within thescope of this disclosure as well.

When the email originates from a source outside of the device and iscommunicated to the device 300, it is first received by the receivingantenna 316 and then transmitted to the receiver 312. From the receiver312, the email message is further processed by the DSP 320, and it thenreaches the microprocessor 338. The microprocessor 338 executesinstructions as indicated from the relevant programming instructions todisplay, store or process the email message as directed by the program.In a similar manner, once an email message has been properly processedby the microprocessor 338 for transmission to the communication network319, it is first sent to the DSP 320, which further transmits the emailmessage to the transmitter 314. The transmitter 314 processes the emailmessage and transmits it to the transmission antenna 318, whichbroadcasts a signal to be received by a communication network 319. Whilethe above has been described generally, those skilled in this art willappreciate those modifications which are necessary to enable thecommunication device 300 to properly transmit the email message over agiven communication network 319.

Furthermore, the email message may instead be transmitted from thedevice 300 via a serial port 330, another communication port 340, orother wireless communication ports 340. The user of the device 300 cangenerate a message to be sent using the keyboard 332 and/or auxiliaryI/O 328, and the associated application to generate the email message.Once the email message is generated, the user may execute a send commandwhich directs the email message from the communication device 300 to thecommunication network 319. In an exemplary embodiment, a keyboard 332,and preferably an alphanumeric keyboard is used to compose the emailmessage. In a preferred embodiment, an auxiliary I/O device 328 is usedin addition to the keyboard 332.

While the above has been described in relation to email messages, oneskilled in the art can modify the procedures to function with othertypes of data such as SMS text messages, internet websites, videos,instant messages, programs and ringtones. Once the data is received bythe microprocessor 338, the data is placed appropriately within theoperating system of the device 300. This might involve presenting amessage on the display 322 which indicates the data has been received orstoring it in the appropriate memory 324 on the device 300. For example,a downloaded application such as a game will be placed into a suitableplace in the flash memory 324 of the device 300. The operating system ofthe device 300 will also allow for appropriate access to the newapplication as downloaded.

Exemplary embodiments have been described hereinabove regarding handheldelectronic devices 300 and wireless handheld communication devices 300as well as the communication networks within which they cooperate. Itshould be appreciated, however, that a focus of the present disclosureis the enablement of a ramped-key keyboard for a handheld electronicdevice.

1. A keyboard for a wireless handheld mobile communication device, thekeyboard comprising: a keyfield comprising a plurality of depressiblekeys arranged in rows that are distributed about a vertical centerlineof the keyboard; and each of the depressible keys has a top engagementsurface of which an upper inboard portion is raised relative to a loweroutboard portion thereof, wherein the top engagement surface of at leastsome of the depressible keys has a generally inclined crest shape with atop of the crest diagonally oriented on the key.
 2. The keyboard asrecited in claim 1, wherein the top engagement surface of each of thedepressible keys is generally upwardly convex about the diagonallyrunning crest on the key.
 3. The keyboard as recited in claim 1, whereinthe top engagement surface of each of the depressible keys fallsdownwardly away from the top of the diagonally oriented crest.
 4. Thekeyboard as recited in claim 3, wherein the inclined crest forms aramped surface from the lower outboard portion toward the upper inboardportion.
 5. The keyboard as recited in claim 4, wherein a grade of theinclined crest on each of the depressible keys is substantially uniformfrom the lower outboard portion toward the upper inboard portion.
 6. Thekeyboard as recited in claim 1, wherein the top engagement surface ofeach of the depressible keys terminates at an upper edge thereof in anelevated ridge down from which the balance of the respective topengagement surface slopes.
 7. The keyboard as recited in claim 6,wherein each of the depressible keys has an upper side surface thatslopes downward from the elevated ridge at a grade greater than anygrade of the top engagement surface.
 8. The keyboard as recited in claim1, wherein the keyfield further comprises: a right-hand keyfieldcomposed of a plurality of the depressible keys that are located on aright-hand side of the vertical centerline of the device, wherein thetop engagement surface for each of the right-hand keyfield depressiblekeys is inclined from lower right to upper left; and a left-handkeyfield composed of a plurality of keys located on a left-hand side ofthe vertical centerline of the device, wherein the top engagementsurface for each of the left-hand keyfield depressible keys is inclinedfrom lower left to upper right.
 9. A wireless handheld mobilecommunication device comprising: a housing with a display located in atop portion thereof for displaying information and a keyboard located ina lower portion thereof below the display and wherein the keyboardcomprises a keyfield comprising a plurality of depressible keys arrangedin rows that are distributed about a vertical centerline of the keyboardand each of the depressible keys has a top engagement surface of whichan upper inboard portion is raised relative a lower outboard portionthereof, wherein the top engagement surface of at least some of thedepressible keys has a generally inclined crest shape with a top of thecrest diagonally oriented on the key.
 10. The wireless handheld mobilecommunication device as recited in claim 9, wherein the top engagementsurface of each of the depressible keys is generally upwardly convexabout a diagonally running ridge on the key.
 11. The wireless handheldmobile communication device as recited in claim 9, wherein the topengagement surface of each of the depressible keys falls downwardly awayfrom the top of the diagonally oriented crest.
 12. The wireless handheldmobile communication device as recited in claim 11, wherein the inclinedcrest forms a ramped surface from the lower outboard portion toward theupper inboard portion.
 13. The wireless handheld mobile communicationdevice as recited in claim 12, wherein a grade of the inclined crest oneach of the depressible keys is substantially uniform from the loweroutboard portion toward the upper inboard portion.
 14. The wirelesshandheld mobile communication device as recited in claim 9, wherein thetop engagement surface of each of the depressible keys terminates at anupper edge thereof in an elevated ridge down from which the balance ofthe respective top engagement surface slopes.
 15. The wireless handheldmobile communication device as recited in claim 14, wherein each of thedepressible keys has an upper side surface that slopes downward from theelevated ridge at a grade greater than any grade of the top engagementsurface.
 16. The wireless handheld mobile communication device asrecited in claim 9, wherein the keyfield further comprises: a right-handkeyfield composed of a plurality of depressible keys located on aright-hand side of the vertical centerline of the device and a left-handkeyfield composed of a plurality of keys located on a left-hand side ofthe vertical centerline of the device; each key of the plurality of keyslocated on the left-hand side of the vertical centerline has a topengagement surface that is lower-left-to-upper-right inclined; and eachkey of the plurality of keys located on the right-hand side of thevertical centerline has a top engagement surface that islower-right-to-upper-left inclined.
 17. The wireless handheld mobilecommunication device as recited in claim 9, further comprising an inputdevice that controls cursor movement on the display.
 18. The wirelesshandheld mobile communication device as recited in claim 17, wherein theinput device is a trackball.
 19. The wireless handheld mobilecommunication device as recited in claim 9, further comprising acommunications subsystem that is disposed within the housing and that isconfigured to carry out wireless voice communication and wireless datacommunication.
 20. The wireless handheld mobile communication device asrecited in claim 9, wherein the plurality of keys have letter indiciaarranged in a QWERTY format associated therewith.
 21. The wirelesshandheld mobile communication device as recited in claim 9, furthercomprising an auxiliary input device located substantially between thedisplay and the keyboard.
 22. The wireless handheld mobile communicationdevice as recited in claim 21, wherein the auxiliary input device is atrackball arrangement.